Copper Cliff
The Copper Cliff is a minor mine that never entered production. While many of the claims in the Whitehorse Copper Belt are clustered near each other, the Copper Cliff is significant because it is isolated. There were no other claims close by. Maybe other prospectors of the late 1890s and early 1900s knew something that the owner of the Copper Cliff did not.
Chronology
- by 1907: 25-ft (8 m) adit (drift, tunnel) in the cliff
- 1908: Copper Cliff Mineral Claim (Lot 156 Group 5) survey registered
- 2005: H. Coyne and Sons staked quartz mineral claims in the area; they expire 2033.
- 2024: Gladiator Metals staked quartz mineral claims in the area; they expire 2030. Gladiator and Coyne are cooperating in copper exploration in the area.
Access
The Copper Cliff claim is located west of the Copper Haul Road south of the Mount Sima ski hill.
About 1 km south past the Mount Sima ski hill parking lot, you will come to a pumphouse and small bridge. The road is sometimes closed at this point so you may have to park in this area. Then proceed farther south on the Copper Haul Road to POI 1, which is just over 1 km from the bridge. See the access details at POI 1.
Points of interest
The map below shows some points of interest (POIs) in the Copper Cliff area. The table that follows gives more info for each POI.
| POI | Description | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | access point | 60.59650 -135.02078 498862 6717845 |
Access is from the Copper Haul Road here. At this point (almost directly across from the intersection with a snowmobile trail that leads to Wolf Creek), find the small valley that leads west and then southwest to a potentially wet area covered in bushes. As of 2023, the valley has been clear cut. Depending on the season, you should be able to get through the potentially wet area with dry feet if you are careful. On the west side of the wet area is an old, graded trail. The trail disappears as you reach the lake. (Theory: When the water level was lower, the trail continued along the base of the cliff on the north side of the lake to at least POI 2. The water level dropped sometime late 2020 or early 2021 but not enough to expose the trail along the bottom of the cliff.) See the trail marking on the interactive map above. Make your way along the north side of the lake. Stay close to the water on top the first rise of cliff and you should arrive at POI 2. |
| 2 | pit with adit | 60.59207 -135.02800 498466 6717352 |
On the top of the cliff above the lake is a shallow pit with ample indications of copper (green malachite, blue azurite) around. There is a second, shallower pit under a nearby tree. Directly below the pits is a wet adit into the cliff right at water level. Access to the adit is difficult and somewhat dangerous due to the steepness of the cliff. Depending on the water level, you may be able to work your way down the cliff a bit to the east of this POI and then back along the base of the cliff to the adit. |
| 3 | cabin | 60.59088 -135.03376 498151 6717220 |
Remains of an old cabin... where the Copper Cliff miners lived? When proceeding from POI 2 to this point, go right up to the top of the very steep slope and skirt along the treeline heading west. When you're above the cabin, drop down the steep slope toward the water and the cabin. Going between POI 2 and POI 3 closer to the lake is difficult or impractical in summer. Between the cabin and the lake, a little-used trail leads west to the next lake, Upper Copper Cliff Lake, which has steep cliffs on the north and steep dangerous rock slides (scree) on the south. |
Downloads
| POIs for GPS | map for GPS |
|---|---|
| file of POIs in GPS format for this project and all others in the Whitehorse Copper Belt that you can download | GPS map for this project that you can download |
Photos and more info
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POI 1. Access to Copper Cliff from the Copper Haul Road is through a small valley. As of 2023, this valley has been clear cut. This is the view looking west along that valley. Photo fall 2023. |
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Copper Cliff is on the north side of a narrow lake that runs generally east-west. The water level in this lake has been augmented by a beaver dam on the east end. This view looks east. The rock outcrop on the right (south) is approximately mid-point on the lake. This photo was taken in 2020 when the water was high. |
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This view looks west. The rock outcrop on the left (south) is approximately mid-point on the lake. Photo 2020. |
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There is no particular path along the north side of the lake. Picking one's way across the top of the first level of cliffs is quite doable, however. |
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The cliffs along the north side of the lake are quite impressive. |
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POI 2. This pit or vertical shaft is on the top of a cliff overlooking the lake. |
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POI 2. There is lots of malachite (green rock) around the pit. |
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POI 2. Looking down from the pit area to the fan of waste rock in front of the adit. The adit is directly below, out of sight. Photo taken Oct 2021 when the water level was low. |
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POI 2. The adit is right near water level. The pit is on the top of the cliff directly above the adit. Photo taken Oct 2020 when the water level was high. |
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POI 2. Access to the adit in the cliff below the pit may be difficult depending on the water level when the lake is not frozen. It was probably excavated when the water level was lower and when the trail from POI 1 led along the base of the cliff. When this photo was taken in October 2020, the adit was partially full of water and there was no dry access directly in front of the adit. See the photos and drone sequence that follow. |
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POI 2. When this photo was taken in June 2021, the water in the lake was at least 1 m lower than the previous fall (see photo immediately above and the drone sequence below) and foot access along the bottom of the cliff was quite feasible. The adit was probably person height; the entrance is now mostly blocked by fallen rock and flooded when the water is higher. |
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POI 2. Drone footage of the cliff face from October 2020, panning west to east to show the flooded adit at water level beside the drone pilot who is standing on the very narrow and precarious adjacent "beach." The POI 2 pit is at the top of the cliff right above the adit. This video © 2020 Elizabeth MacDonald. |
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POI 2. Photo grab from the video above showing the flooded adit at water level. This photo © 2020 Elizabeth MacDonald. |
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POI 3. This cabin is not far from the water. But to get here from POI 2, you will probably want to go quite high on the slope and approach this from above. |
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POI 3. Well ventilated. |
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POI 3. There is still some glass in the window. |
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Upper Copper Cliff Lake, west of POI 3 |
TimmiT History Exploration Notebook